Time to harvest – and to sow
RAINBOW: TRY WHITE, YELLOW ORANGE AND RED CARROTS OR RED AND GOLD BEETROOT
Veggies sown early March have enough time to develop into strong enough plants.
March is the month when the three seasons overlap. Summer veggies are being harvested, autumn veggies like lettuce, spinach, beetroot, carrots and radishes germinate better in the cooler soil and winter veggies can also be sown.
Except in cold Highveld areas, winter veggies sown in early March will still have enough time to develop into strong enough plants before the first frost, which generally arrives at the end of May, says Kirchhoffs Seeds Marlaen Straathof.
“Gardening is often a toss-up between going with your ‘gut feeling’ and ‘following the experts’,” says Marlaen, “and if your gut said, delay sowing broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and cabbage up until now because of the heat, it could very well be right.”
Old favourites with a twist
Of the root veggies, beetroot, carrots and radishes are old favourites, but why not try something different, like carrot “rainbow blend”, which is a mix of white, yellow, orange and red carter rots; “red and gold” beetroot; and radish “watermelon”; or “easter egg” mix from Raw Seeds. What the three crops have in common is the need for light, welldrained fine soil that needs little preparation except digging over, breaking down soil clumps and levelling. Manure should not be added because it causes split roots. Carrot seed is very fine and is shallow sown. It helps to mix it with some mealie-meal and sow in rows. Cover with a light dusting of sifted compost and firm it down with your hand or with a plank. Beetroot seed may germinate quicker if soaked overnight, but it is not necessary. Also sow in rows and keep the soil moist while the seeds germinate.
Something completely different
An unsung hero in the veggie world is kohlrabi, which is regarded as the easiest of all the brassicas to grow. It makes an above-ground bulb that can be eaten raw or cooked. The young leaves are also edible.
An heirloom variety is kohlrabi “white vienna”. The bulb’s creamy-white tender flesh has a mild broccoli flavour with a hint of apple. It can be eaten raw or cooked.
It grows best in full sun, in deeply dug-over (30cm), well-composted fertile soil that drains well.
Plants grow quickly, so need regular watering and evenly moist soil, but not saturated. Wa- at soil level rather than overhead, unless watering is done early so that the leaves are dry by nightfall. This minimises disease.
For the best flavour and texture pick the bulb when it’s the size of an apple; about 55 days from sowing. If left longer the bulb becomes hard and woody.
Use the bulb peeled and grated raw into salads, chopped for stir-fries or roasted. The young, tender leaves are good in salad or used, with the stems, as a spinach substitute. Kohlrabi bulbs, with leaves removed and sealed in a sealed plastic bag, can be stored for several weeks in a refrigerator.
Comfort food
Parsnips,
like carrots and kohlrabi, is a delicious vegetable for winter stews. They taste sweeter than carrots, and if sown now or in April will be ready for harvesting in August.
According to Marlaen, the most important requirement for parsnips is deep, fertile, friable soil that drains well. Remove all stones, sticks and break down clods of soil so that a fine tilth is achieved.